Game ball with clock

ABSTRACT

The present invention includes ball having integrated timers for measuring or counting at least one time period

[0001] This application is a continuation in part to and claims priority from co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/014,297, filed Dec. 11, 2001, entitled “GAME BALL WITH CLOCK.”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to game balls and, more particularly, recreational sport balls having clocks or timers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In many sports activities, timing or counts can be important. For example, in a professional basketball game, officials have a shot clock that provides a specific amount of time for the offensive team to take a shot. In recreational basketball games, often times participants wish to simulate the shot clock. Similarly, in recreational football games, often a “pass rusher” counts off a number of seconds prior to rushing the passer to simulate the time a professional quarterback would have to stand in, for example, the pocket prior to throwing a pass.

[0004] In some case, such as the basketball shot clock, timers can be used off the court. Alternatively, the basketball hoop can be modified to incorporate a timer that resets after each basket. However, even simple timers require equipment to be attached to the basket or carried from court to court. This is difficult as conventional timers are relatively non-portable. Thus, it would be desirous to provide a ball with a clock or timer to perform these and other functions of timers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The foregoing and other features, utilities and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Further, the advantages and purpose of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

[0006] To attain the advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, balls having a timer integrated into the ball are provided. The balls also have a sound generator. The timer is capable of measuring at least one time period and the sound generator can provide a sound indicating the end of the at least one time period.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles thereof. Like items in the drawings are referred to using the same numerical reference.

[0008]FIG. 1 shows a game ball having a timer in accordance with a possible embodiment of the present invention;

[0009]FIG. 2 shows another game ball having a timer in accordance with a possible embodiment of the present invention; and

[0010]FIG. 3 shows a possible control panel 30 in accordance with the present invention;

[0011]FIGS. 4A and 4B show possible cross-sectional views of control panel 30;

[0012]FIG. 5 shows another possible control panel 50 in accordance with the present invention; and

[0013]FIGS. 6A and 6B show possible cross-sectional views of control panel 50.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Some embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In particular, FIG. 1 shows a basketball 10 having a timer 12, a control panel 14, and a sound generator 16. Not specifically shown, basketball 10 would also have a power source, which could be any conventional power source, such as, for example, conventional double A or triple A batteries. Basketball 10 can be any type of basketball, such as, for example, a NBA regulation basketball, other conventional basketballs, or other basketballs, such as a foam ball (like a NERF® ball), synthetic leather balls, plastic balls, etc. Timer 12 could be a conventional clock circuit, a microprocessor, a microchip, or other type of device capable of measuring time or counts. Control panel 14 could be simply a reset device for the timer to reset the timer for the next period. However, control panel 14, which will be explained in more detail below, is not necessary. Sound generator 16 could be a microprocessor, microchip, or other device capable of generating sound. Generally, sound generator 16 would have a speaker (not specifically shown) associated with it that could be mounted on the control panel 14 or elsewhere on the ball. Further, sound generator could be more complex, such as a voice synthesizer, or less complex, such as a buzzer. Also, while timer 12 and sound generator 16 are shown separately for convenience, they could be combined into a single unit. Similarly, FIG. 2 shows a football 20 having a timer 22, a control panel 24, and a sound generator 26. While the present invention is shown incorporated into a basketball and football, one of ordinary skill in the art on reading the disclosure would understand that other balls could be used.

[0015] Further, while FIGS. 1 and 2 show the timer, sound generator, and/or control panel on one side of the game ball, it is possible to arrange the pieces along a geometric axis of the ball for proper weight and balance of the ball. In other words, the speaker and timer may be on one side of the ball, the power source (not shown) close to the center, and the access port (also not shown) to the power source on the opposite side of the speaker. Further, it is better to place the equipment as close to the geometric center of the ball as possible, again for weight and balance. To the extent the timer, sound generator, and/or control panel cause weight and balance issues with the ball, those issues can be corrected with a sufficient counter balance.

[0016] In operation, a player would reset the timer 12, which will be further explained in conjunction with the control panel description below, at the start of the desired count period. The timer 12 would begin counting, in this case, seconds until the shot clock period expires. At the end of the time period, the timer would send a signal to sound generator 16 that would generate a sound, such as a buzzer, indicating the end of the period. In more complex arrangements, the timer 12 could send a signal to sound generator 16 that causes sound generator 16 to make audible all or some portion of the countdown period, i.e., sound generator 16 could produce a 10, 9, 8, . . . countdown to the end of the period. The count down could be a voice synthesis countdown or simply clicks that start at the 10 second point (or some other point such as 5 second). Moreover, the countdown could be a combination of clicks or voice synthesis, such as a verbal 10, 9, 8 . . . and a buzzer at zero.

[0017] For a “pass rush” application in football, it may be desirable to provide a random feature to the timer 22 to simulate, for example, a blitz. In other words, the timer 22 may be capable of counting several periods, and each actuation of the counting, which will be explained in more detail below, causes timer 22 to randomly select various time periods. To provide the random feature, a randomize could be integrated into timer 22 or provided separately (not shown in the drawings). In one example, the timer 22 may be able to selectively count between a 5 second normal rush period, a 3 second speed rush, and a 1 second blitz rush. Other time periods, of course, could be possible. Thus, on each actuation of the timer 22, the actual period prior to rushing would be unknown, which would further simulate an actual football game. Also, as one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize on reading the disclosure, the random feature of timer 22 could be a pure randomizer or, alternatively, it could be based some predetermined pattern.

[0018] After the count period, if the game ball has a control panel, the player can reset the timer 12 to being the next period. Alternatively, the timer could simply being the next period after the end of the previous period without need for a reset. If the timer 12 did not get reset, but rather started counting the next period at the end of the pervious period, the entire control panel could be eliminated if desired. Instead of a manual reset on a control panel, a reset device could be mounted in, for example, the basketball hoop that would automatically reset the timer 12 when the basketball comes within a predetermined distance of the reset device. Alternatively, a remote control style device could be used to reset the timer 12. Also, the timer 12 could be voice activated by commands such as, for example, start, stop, shot, etc. to start, stop, or even pause the timer period. If voice actuation is employed, it may be desirous to use a microphone, which could be mounted on the control panel or elsewhere.

[0019]FIG. 3 shows a possible control panel 30 for timer or clock. As explained above, the features of control panel 30 are not necessary for the present invention. Generally, control panel 30 may have a reset 34 and a count period select 36. Control panel 30 may also have a display 32. If a display is used, the display could receive a signal from the time to display the current time, the time period select length (i.e., 24 second shot clock, 5 second rush count, etc.) Also, depending on the application, the display may be configured to count up or down with the timer.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the reset 34 and count period select 36 could either be raised or depressed. In order to inhibit inadvertent resets and/or count period selections, a protective cover could be implemented (not shown) to cover the reset 34 and count period select 36. In this case, actuating reset 34 would reset the timer 12 to the beginning of the count period. Similarly, actuating count period select 36 would cycle through the available choices in the count period. For example, the count period could be originally set for 24 seconds, but include options for count periods of 30, 32, and 15 seconds (notice the period length is arbitrary and a matter of design or customer choice). Actuating count period select 36 could cycle the count period between the various choices. In other words, the first time count period select 36 is actuated, the count period would change from 24 seconds to 30 seconds, the second time to 32 seconds, the third time to 15 seconds and the fourth time back to 24 seconds, etc. A display 32 would facilitate the selection by displaying the count period length on the display each time the count period select 36 is actuated.

[0021]FIG. 5 shows another possible control panel 50. Control panel 50 has a display 52, a reset 54, and a count period select 56. In this case, reset 54 and count period select 56 have more of a slide actuation than a press actuation. One advantage of the slide actuation is that the count period select 56 could have predefined spots on the slide to select time periods instead of cycling through time periods. In other words, count period select 56 could have 5 predefined positions for time period, such as, a first position for 15 seconds, a second position for 24 seconds, etc. As one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize on reading the disclosure, resets 34 and 54 and count period selects 36 and 56 could be any style of actuator. Moreover, resets and count period selects could be the same or different types of actuators.

[0022] The above reset and count period select controls are described in relation to simply single action style actuators or switches with multiple presets. It would be possible to incorporate a keyboard into the control panels. The keyboard could be a conventional alpha, numeric or alphanumeric keyboard.

[0023] As one of skill in the art would recognize on reading this disclosure, while the timers 12 and 22, and sound generators 16 and 26 are shown mounted internal to the balls 10 and 20, they could be mounted on the surface of the balls. Moreover, the timers and sound generators could be incorporated into the control panel. Alternatively, the control panels 14 and 24 could be removed and the timers 12 and 22, and sound generators 16 and 26 could mounted on the surface or internal to the balls 10 and 20.

[0024] If a control panel is not used, timers 12 and 22 and sound generators 16 and 26 could be preset to particular counts periods and sounds or preset to random count periods and sounds, etc. Alternatively, a receiver (not shown) could be incorporated into the balls to receive control signals from a remote control device. The remote control device would operate similar to the control panels 30 and 50 discussed above. The timers and sound generators could also respond to proximity signals (such as a reset for the shot clock when the shot is close to the basket), or motion detectors (such as the pass rush counting beginning on the snap motion). In other words, many types of control schemes are possible using the present invention, but only a few illustrative examples are given.

[0025] For actuation of the timer, one particular embodiment of the invention includes a target area or strike surface, not shown. Using football 20 as an example, a player using the football 20 would snap the football 20 into his palm, hitting the target or strike surface. The snap and abrupt stop would cause timer 22 to begin counting a timer period. The time period counted could be preset to, for example, a 5 mississippi count so that each actuation produces a 5 mississippi time period, a random mississippi count so that each actuation produces a random mississippi count between predetermined counts (i.e., a random 0 to 10 mississippi count), or a cycling mississippi count so that the mississippi count depends on what point in the cycle the user actuates the timer.

[0026] While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to some embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. An apparatus, comprising: a ball; at least one timer integrated with the ball for measuring at least one time period; at least one randomizer that provides to the at least one timer the at least one time period to be counted; at least one sound generator integrated with the ball, and the at least one sound generator for producing at least one sound based on the at least one time period.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the least one randomizer provides time periods between a predetermined minimum time period and a predetermined maximum time period.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one randomizer provides time periods bases on a predetermined pattern.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: at least one actuator; and the at least one actuator initializes the at least one timer to begin counting the at least one time period provided by the at least one randomizer.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least one actuator comprises a motion detector.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the motion detector detects a snap motion to start the timer.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the snap motion comprises a movement of the ball and a stopping of the movement.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the movement of the ball includes a rapid movement of the ball and the stopping of the movement includes hitting the ball with a palm of a user
 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the ball has a hitting surface for the palm indicated on at least one tip of the ball.
 10. A method of using a ball having an integrated timer, comprising the steps of: providing a ball having at least one integrated timer; actuating the at least one integrated timer; counting at least one time period; and indicating the completion of the counting step.
 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the actuating step comprises resetting the at least one integrated timer.
 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the resetting step comprises depressing a push button.
 13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the resetting step comprises: moving of the ball; and stopping of the ball, wherein the movement and stopping of the ball actuates resets and actuates the at least one integrated timer.
 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the moving and stopping steps comprise a single motion of a user moving the ball with one hand and stopping the ball by hitting the palm of another hand.
 15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the movement is rapid and the stopping is abrupt.
 16. An apparatus, comprising a ball; at least one timer integrated with the ball for measuring at least one time period; at least one striking surface on the ball; and at least one sound generator integrated with the ball, wherein striking the at least one striking surface on the ball actuates the at least one integrated timer to being measuring the at least one time period.
 17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the at least one timer includes uses at least one randomizer to determine the at least one time period to be measured.
 18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the at least one randomizer is integrated into the at least one timer. 